Guilty by Association
by Hoodies and Leather
Summary: Max feels like the entire world is against him until he comes face to face with public enemy number one. Alex/OC
1. The Rescue

**I've been waiting a LONG time to write this one. I'm sure there will be a few minor differences between my story and the game, but nothing too drastic. Just a forewarning. This takes place during the events of the first game. I haven't had a chance to get the second game, so please don't post spoilers in your reviews! I don't know why anyone would, but I just thought I'd point that out just in case. Haha. Finally, I just thought I'd point out that this story will center on an original character. As always, hope you guys enjoy the story! Please review!**

* * *

**1: The Rescue  
**

Max was bored. Bored out of his mind on a Friday night. Nothing new here. While every other student at his high school was out sneaking booze, having spontaneous sex and living out every other teenage stereotype, he was left to sit idly at home in front of a TV.

He wasn't alone, though.

"Is this shit _supposed_ to be entertaining or am I missing something here..?"

Max shot a glare that went unnoticed by his target. Cameron sat across from Max on his bed, giving the TV the most offensive look possible.

"Wow. This show... sucks.." Cameron threw his hands up in defeat and disbelief.

"Oh Christ, it's not that bad." Max rolled his eyes and fetched his phone from the bedside table. The backlight revealing the annoyed expression that now painted his features.

Cameron spun around dramatically, "Seriously? This show tries too hard to be funny. The characters are fucking retarded.."

At this point, Max was tuning out Cameron's ongoing criticism of one of his favorite shows and focused on texting his long distance friends. Lately, he hasn't been too fond of his own best friend. All he does lately is complain and criticize, showing little to no respect for Max.

Max realized the only reason he considers Cam his best friend is because Cam is his _only_ friend. It was clear that he and Cam had grown apart and he could easily put an end to the misery of having to deal with him, but then he'd officially be alone at school.

Cam let out an emphasized groan and faced the TV again, knowing his incessant bashing was falling on deaf ears.

"Next on your local news at 10, we're taking a closer look at the infection that has affected approximately 10% of the city and at the panic surrounding the presence of the mysterious man known as 'Zeus'."

"Man, I can't wait until they finally catch that freak. We don't need shit like that running around on the streets!" Cam said, fire in his words.

"You seem to have a real problem with that Zeus guy." Max noted with mild annoyance.

"It's not a 'guy'," Cam corrected with an air of arrogance, "It _used to _be a guy, now it's just some kind of mutant. And uhh, yeah, I kinda have a problem with psychotic mass-murderers, dumbass."

Max gritted his teeth. "Whatever."

It was best to either go with Cam or let the issue fizzle out rather than contest him. Max loathed having to bite his tongue and admit defeat, but It was easier in the long run.

Deciding he had enough, Max feigned a long yawn.

"Fuck, I'm tired.."

After about a minute, Cam stretched and stood up.

"I better get going. Hang out tomorrow night?"

"Uhh, can't. Gonna be busy helping my dad." Max shrugged and faked a frown.

"You're always busy." Cam glowered and pulled on his coat. "Whatever. See ya."

Max shut the door behind him and watched him drive off.

"Asshole."

He sighed deeply, relishing the freedom that was being away from his so-called friend.

"Wonder what it's like to have friends that you don't despise. What a goddamn luxury."

Max knew there was always the option of confronting his friend about how he felt; an opportunity to open a line of communication that had been closed off for a long time already. It could end up being one of those cathartic moments between friends who had fallen off track, one that would bring them back together and make their bond stronger than ever.

Unfortunately, this wasn't an after school special, nor an infomercial for an over-hyped therapy center, where doing the right thing automatically made life into a meadow filled with sunshine and rainbows.

He had tried to reason with Cam through their issues, but Cam seemed less than interested in compromising. Max decided the next best thing would be to keep him at arm's length until he got his act together. If that never happened, then at least he only has eight more months of having to see him.

* * *

The journey back home from school was lonely, but peaceful. He wouldn't be able to concentrate on his own thoughts had he chosen to walk home with Cameron like he normally did.

After a while, Max caught on to something odd. The streets seemed a lot less populated than normal. Usually, they were bustling with motion and the air was filled with the white noise of indistinct voices and machinery.

He saw only a few stray civilians walking around, but there were mostly cops and Marines posted in the area. The sight made him a little nervous, but he continued on, not wanting to draw attention to himself.

"Hey!"

Max pulled on the strap of his backpack and stared down at his feet, ignoring the shouting.

"Hey, kid!"

Max continued on, hoping it wasn't directed at him.

"Dammit! Are you fucking deaf or something?"

Max finally looked up to see, to his inconvenience, a group of Marines facing him from across the street. Their eyes were hidden behind pairs of sunglasses. The one who was shouting was now heading towards him with two others closely following behind.

"Oh, great." Max mumbled under his breath.

"Is there a problem?" The man asked with a slight tinge of accusation in his voice, as if he caught Max with wads of cash falling out of his pockets.

"Uhh.. no?" Max attempted to stand his ground, but couldn't help being intimidated by the men as they approached.

They couldn't be more than three years older than himself, but they were making him feel like he was a little kid who was about to be scolded.

All three of them were now standing in front of him. They were massively tall and well-built. The guns they carried with ease looked like they could crush Max.

'Uhh... no?' The man mockingly echoed back. "What are you doing skulking around here if you're not up to something, bro?"

Max furrowed his brows as he craned his neck to look into the other man's condescending sneer. "I'm walking home from school.."

"By yourself?" One of the other men asked.

Before Max could answer back, the first man asked to see his ID. Probably for the best. He was about to give him a dose of sarcasm, which may not be wise to do to a guy whose belt line was higher than your head.

Max flashed his ID to the Marine, which he took his sweet time looking over.

"You're eighteen?" The man asked, as if the idea astonished him.

Max arched his eyebrows. "Yeah..." He could feel his body start to burn up with embarrassment and discomfort. He knew the guy expected to see that he was no older than twelve.

The Marine chuckled tauntingly. "Dude, lift some weights or something. My 14-year-old brother is bigger than you."

Max snatched his ID from him as he handed it over. He started to walk away from the cackling men when he was stopped in his tracks by the Marine's massive hand on his chest.

"Whoa there. Where do you think you're going, kid? We're not done with you yet."

"What else do you want?" Max was getting impatient. He just wanted to go home. Perhaps ditching Cameron wasn't the best idea after all.

"You getting scared or something? You're starting to sweat."

Max was trying his best to hide his fear, but he was legitimately starting to worry about his safety. His fears gained ground when the first man grabbed Max by the fabric of his shirt and tugged him towards the alley, nearly ripping the material in the process.

The Marine flung him into the wall of the building. "Don't give me your fucking attitude, kid." His hands returned to Max's shirt, this time lifting him off his feet. "And learn to respect your superiors."

Max was tossed backwards, and yelped in pain as he fell on his back, scraping parts of his exposed skin on the pavement.

"Just leave me alone! What the fuck did I do to you?" Max attempted to back away, trying hard not to look like a pathetic wimp. He knew they had him right where they wanted him.

The Marine snickered and leaned down to lift Max back to his feet.

The alley boomed and rattled suddenly, as if lightning struck or a massive weight dropped into the area, causing the Marines to jump back. Garbage, dust and chunks of cement flew everywhere.

Max shielded his eyes as he turned to see what happened. In the shadows and the settling dust, he could make out a hooded man standing there.

"It's Zeus! FIRE!"

Max barely had a moment to process what was happening, but he immediately flung himself behind the safety of a large dumpster next to the wall a split second before bullets pelted the hooded man. He wasn't dropping; instead, he was slowly walking toward the Marines.

Before he knew it, the man was charging full speed at the Marines, fist first. Another tremor shook the alleyway as his powerful fist made contact with the men, sending all three of them all the way across the street. An explosion or two followed and filled the alley with orange light.

Max gaped at the surreal scene unfolding in front of him. It finally hit him. This man was THE Zeus. The one he's heard about so many times on the news. As soon as the Marines were dealt with, the hooded man turned and faced Max. Max nearly pissed himself, cowering behind the dumpster.

_Great, now instead of the Marines killing me, this guy is going to. What the fuck did I do to deserve this?_

A hand rested on his trembling shoulder. He turned to see Zeus seemingly staring down at him. He couldn't see his face which was heavily shrouded by the shadow of his hood. The rest of his features came to light, though.

He was wearing a black, shiny leather jacket with two white strips on each arm. Underneath it was a gray hoodie that kept his face a mystery. He wore a pair of blue jeans that fit his body well, along with black boots that shone in the light.

All Max could do was stare in awe at the man standing over him and hope that he wasn't about to be murdered. Before he could process another thought, he was being lifted onto Zeus' back as if he was weightless. He gripped Max's arm with one hand and then they were airborne. He hopped from rooftop to rooftop like it required no effort at all.

Max was hardly aware of anything that was going on, aside from the wind whistling in his ears. He barely had a chance to worry about his safety or how a man like this could exist.

Zeus' large hand was clasped tightly around Max's arm. His grip felt like it was stronger than steel. He knew all about Zeus from the various news reports that circulated since he surfaced in New York City.

Logically, Max knew he should be terrified right now. He knew he should've ran the first chance he got, but something, besides the shock of the situation, made him stay. Just like something right now is making it hard for him to believe that Zeus is this monster that the media has painted him to be. He felt safe more than anything else.

He held on tight for the remainder of the time. After a couple minutes, Zeus landed in an alley and put Max down. Luckily, it was just a short distance from his apartment. He didn't feel it was appropriate to tell this man where exactly to drop him off.

Zeus walked deeper into the darkness of the alley. Max gawked at him for a moment.

"Thank you."

The man turned around for a second and then jumped out of sight again, leaving Max alone with his thoughts.

_So.. that was really Zeus. But how could that be? Everyone's always going on about how he's this monstrous killer, but he just saved my life. Ironically, from the very people that are supposed to be keeping our well being in mind. _

Max hung out in that alley for about an hour after that, pacing up and down as if he were on hallowed ground. He didn't want to leave. He wanted to remain there, as if he were expecting something to happen and didn't want to miss out on whatever that was.


	2. Trust

**2: Trust**

Reluctantly, Max abandoned his post and headed for home. The sun's rays were fading to orange and he knew his mom would be wondering where he's been.

"Where have you been?" His mom echoed his thoughts as he walked in.

Max removed his backpack and coat, tossing it aside before heading to the kitchen, "I'm only coming home an hour later than usual, mom. Most kids stay out until, like, 7:00 on a school night."

"Oh, I see. You were with Cameron, then?" His mother assumed, seemingly pleased with this idea.

Max opened the fridge door and used it to mask the tells of his lie, "Yup."

"Well, that makes me feel better." His mother smiled and turned back to her computer screen.

"Umm, I'm eighteen, mom. Pretty sure I can take care of myself." Max slammed the fridge closed and rolled his eyes.

"Oh, Max, I know that! But with all the commotion going on in the city, I reserve the right to worry about you!"

"Well, I'm fine and there's nothing to worry about." Max's tone rose with a little more agitation than was warranted, "You never babied Will like this, mom."

"Are you kidding? Of course I did! You just weren't around to see it."

Max sighed, "Right.."

He knew his mom meant well, but he couldn't help feeling like she still saw him as a helpless child instead of the adult he was.

"Three Marines are in the hospital tonight, with two of them currently listed as being in critical condition after reportedly being attacked by the anomaly known as 'Zeus'."

Max whirled around to face the news bulletin on TV.

"Sources now say that a fourth victim - an unidentified teenage boy - was also involved and is now missing." Max's face turned red at the realization that they were talking about him. He was thankful that his mom was in the next room and couldn't see.

"Allegedly, the men were attempting to rescue the boy from Zeus when it attacked them."

"Yeah, right!" Max scoffed at the absurdity. Is that what people thought really happened?

"See? This is exactly what I'm talking about, Max! Are you watching this?" His mother shouted from the other room, pointing at the TV. "That poor boy could've just as easily been you! Thank God for the Marines!"

Max smirked at the inside knowledge that he really was that 'poor boy' she was talking about.

"They did a real great job at saving him, it looks like."

"Max, must you always be so cynical? It's better that they're here, trying their best to protect us from that monster than if they weren't."

"I'm starting think it's the Marines we need to be protected from." Max muttered under his breath.

Max flipped the light on in his room and tossed his backpack next to his dresser and collapsed his exhausted body onto his bed.

His mind wandered back to Zeus and the events of what happened in the last few hours.

_The way I felt when I was with him, when he was holding me... I never felt that way before. How could he honestly be this monster that everyone claims he is when he saved my life? He clearly knew what he was doing and wanted to help me._

Max wraps his arms around his pillow and leans his head against it, breathing in its scent deeply.

_And what's up with everyone referring to him as if he's just some object? Obviously he's a human and male. Well, at least he's somewhat human, but he's definitely male._

Max closed his eyes, remembering the feeling of Zeus' touch and the sense of security he felt.

_Is it wrong that I want to see him again?_

* * *

Max was dreading school more than usual the next morning. He knew it was because he'd rather have time to go over what happened yesterday a million more times instead of having to focus on school and dealing with a whole lot of other things he didn't want to.

The whole situation lasted only about twenty minutes, but it changed everything. The world was different now. Unfortunately, that change made regular life that much harder to deal with. That meant school seemed like more of a punishment, his parents were twice as overbearing and Cameron's voice would give him a migraine in half the time it normally took.

Max's knee bounced anxiously as he waited in the crowded bus station. Cameron hasn't shown up yet and the sun's early light washed over the street.

His gaze shifted from person to person in the surrounding area until a hooded man locked his attention briefly.

_Great, now I'm starting to see him everywhere._

Max did a quick double take. _Wait a second. Is that really him?_

He hesitated for a moment, cursing that he couldn't go and investigate due to school. However, he soon decided that this was a more pressing concern than his education at the moment. Slinging his pack over his shoulder, he got up and chased after the hooded man before he walked too far out of sight.

Luckily, he was headed in the opposite direction that Cameron's house was, so there wasn't much chance that he'd run into him. Max speed walked through the horde of people separating him from the man, weaving in and around everyone hastily. He didn't have time to be polite and patient.

The man turned his head, almost like he noticed he was being followed. His pace seemed to pick up slightly when he faced forward again. Max followed suit. He wasn't going to let him get away.

A few minutes later, only about two rows of people separated them. He stared up at the familiar man. He seemed much taller this close up, causing Max to briefly believe this meant that this couldn't be Zeus, but then he noticed the clothing he was wearing; a black, shiny leather jacket with white stripes on the arms, a faded pair of blue jeans and black boots.

The red tribal insignia across the back of the jacket is what solidified the man's identity. Max immediately flashed back to the moment he noticed it on Zeus' jacket when he was carrying him away from those Marines. It wasn't a feature that he acknowledged at that moment, but it still stuck out in his mind.

Max lost himself in thought and nearly missed Zeus ducking into the adjacent alleyway. Max followed him quickly, but made a little effort not to draw too much attention to them. He ran down the alley, but was almost crushed with the weight of disappointment when he realized he was alone.

"What? But.. I saw him run in here.." Max said to himself.

"Is there a reason you're following me?" A deep voice came from behind him, nearly causing him to jump.

Max spun on his heel to see the hooded man standing a short distance behind him, shrouded in shadows.

"Uhh.. umm.." Max was at a loss for words.

The man stepped towards him briskly and grabbed him by his shirt, lifting him clear off the ground. Zeus growled. "You're from Blackwatch, aren't you?"

Max's heart began to pound "B-Blackwatch? No! I don't even know what that is!"

"Don't play games with me! I know what you-" He stopped suddenly, grunting in confusion. "Wait, you're that kid from yesterday."

Zeus gently set Max down. "Sorry about that.."

"It's fine." Max reassured him, though his body was still trembling.

"Why did you follow me here?"

"I just wanted to thank you for yesterday." Max made up on the spot. He knew the excuse was weak.

Zeus raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you already thank me yesterday?"

Max looked down. "Yeah, I did.."

"So, why did you really come here?" Zeus folded his arms and looked down at Max.

He carefully thought out his answer, deciding honesty would be the best way to go. "I guess I just wanted to understand."

"Understand? Understand what?"

Max looked up at the other man. "You. I want to understand who you are exactly."

The light in the alley was dim, but he could see Zeus' features soften.

"Assuming you are Zeus, everyone out there says you're a bad guy. They call you a monster.."

The man begins pacing around and lets out a slight chuckle. "Is that right?"

Max worries that he might've offended him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"No, they're right. I am a fucking monster now."

"You're not. How could you be? Those guys yesterday, they were the monters." Max slowly approached Zeus, who was now facing away from him.

"If only you knew, kid." Zeus continued to stare off away from him. Max frowned solemnly. Zeus was no monster, nor a hardened killer. He seemed lonely, if anything.

"You can call me Max."

"Hmm. Alright, Max.. as long as we're doing introductions, I'm Alex Mercer."

The name rang a bell in Max's head. He then remembered hearing about how Zeus was once a man that went by that very name. It made sense.

"Alex.. I thought they said you weren't Alex anymore."

"'They'? I assume you're referring to the media."

Max nodded.

"Well, they get their information from Blackwatch and Gentek, so I wouldn't trust them if I were you. I know who I am."

"Who or what is Blackwatch exactly?"

"Ehh, they're a long story." The familiar look of disgust appeared on his face again. "I'll tell you when we get out of here."

Max raised his eyebrows. "Get out of here?"

"Yeah, you came here to understand me, didn't you? I'd rather do this at my apartment where the entire world can't just listen in. Unless you've changed your mind.."

"No! I'm definitely still interested."

"Alright. Well, as long as you never tell anyone where I'm located or that you've even been in contact with me in the first place, we won't have a problem. Understood?"

"Don't worry. I'd never sell you out. I promise." Max reassured him.

"I wouldn't so much as entertain the idea, but for some reason, I feel like I can trust you." Alex looked down at him, a hint of warmth in his glance.

Alex's apartment was nothing more than a vacated room in a dilapidated building and served more as a hideout than a home.

Max was brought up to speed as to what was really going on with Alex's situation while he educated Alex on the lies being spread about him on the news and from the mouths of the authorities.

"Go figure," Alex said cynically, "They've all been paid off by Blackwatch and Gentek to say exactly what they want and everyone's eating it up." Alex gritted his teeth and balled his fists.

"I'm sorry," Max started, "I know it's no consolation and you barely even know me, but I'd never buy into that shit. I never did."

Alex half-smirked, "Thanks. If only more people were as smart." He laid a hand on Max's shoulder, slightly surprising him. "You okay?"

Max looked up at Alex, confused.

"Those guys hurt you?"

"Oh, uhh.. not too much. Just a scrape on my back." Max brushed his hand down the wound, wincing at the slight sting of contact. "Who knows what else they would've done."

"They won't be doing anything to you anymore." Alex seemed to briefly caress Max's shoulder before pulling his hand away.

Max wondered if he just imagined that or if it was wishful thinking. He breathed heavily trying to resist the urge to throw his arms around Alex right there and physically express his gratitude, among so many other things.

Despite that, he kept his feet planted firmly and his arms to himself.

"Listen, whatever you need, I'll be happy to help in any way I can."

"That's noble of you, but you don't need to pay me back for helping you."

"That's not the only reason why I want to help." Max said sternly, "I'm on your side. I think what Gentek, Blackwatch, the military and everyone else is doing to you is fucked up, especially how they're trying to turn everyone against you."

Confliction flashed across Alex's face, "Max, I appreciate your conviction. But I don't want to put anyone else in the line of danger. "

"Wait.. 'Anyone else'?"

Alex broke eye contact, staring down at the floor. "My sister.. she was kidnapped by one of those monsters running around the city."

A cold chill of mortal terror ran up Max's spine. "Oh my god, Alex, I'm so-"

"She's fine." Alex interrupted, "I got her back. Not a scratch on her." Max breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Thank God." Max smiled warmly at Alex, even though the other man wasn't looking back. "But I don't care about endangering myself. It's fine."

"You have family and friends who might care."

Max scoffed, "I don't know about that." He said quietly, shifting his gaze away from Alex who was giving him a perplexed look.

Alex sighed deeply, "Fine. Looks like I can't talk you out of it. But if this starts being a problem, then our partnership is over. Like I said, I can't allow more people to suffer because of me."

"I promise I'll be careful."

* * *

"Lieutenant Faris." A gruff man in his late thirties greeted as he walked through the door to the hospital room.

"Captain." Faris returned promptly.

"I see that you are recovering well, Lieutenant. That's certainly good news." The man took a seat in the lone chair adjacent to the bed.

"Doc said I'll be good as new soon. I'll be out of here as early as tomorrow."

The Captain simply nodded. "You took quite a hit. Not many take such a direct hit from Zeus and live to tell about it."

"What about Davis and Markson? How are they doing?" Faris furrowed his eyebrows, slight worry creeping into the pit of his stomach.

Captain hesistated for a moment before removing his hat, much to Faris' horror. "I'm afraid they weren't so lucky, soldier."

Faris looked down at his hands solemnly. Each breath making him feel like he was taking fire into his lungs.

"Their dedication to the Marine Corps, as well as this fine country, will never be forgotten."

"No, they won't." Faris agreed, staring at a blank spot on the wall. A rough hand rested on his shoulder.

"I know you won't want to, but you're going to be expected to give a statement about what happened with Zeus."

The Marine swallowed hard, retaining composure, "Understood, sir."

"We're also going to need your help identifying that boy that was kidnapped."

Faris looked up at the Captain, confused. "Boy that was kidnapped?" Then his mind instantly flashed to Max and his blood instantly began to boil. A new sense of resolve brewing within him.

"That kid was no victim." He spat out, eyes piercing. "He was Zeus' accomplice."

"Accomplice?" The Captain repeated incredulously.

"Yeah." Faris' mind went to work. Fortunately for him, his training as a Marine honed his quick thinking skills. "We caught the brat acting shady before attempting to loot one of the nearby vacant stores. Me and the others cornered him and asked him some questions. That's when Zeus came and..."

"Ah, for fuck's sakes." The Captain interrupted. "That's just fucking great. Now you're tellin' me, he's got help? Who in their right mind'd help that bastard?"

"I checked his ID, his name is.." Faris stopped suddenly, his mind drawing a blank. "God dammit! I can't remember the kid's name."

"That's fantastic. That bump on your head musta done your memory in, soldier."

"Sorry, sir. It'll come back to me." Faris reassured him, glancing down in shame.

"Well, do you at least remember anything else about him?"

"He was a scrawny little shit. Looks about fifteen, but he's a few years older than that."

"That's better than nothing, Lieutenant." The Captain groaned, mildly dissatisfied and turned to look out the window.

"Sir?" The higher ranking man turned to face Faris. "I won't allow that kid, nor Zeus, to get away with this."

Faris clenched his fists so hard, they were about to crush themselves.

"I'll make them pay for what they did to my comrades if I gotta do it myself. I won't let you down, Captain."


End file.
